Fontevraud Abbey is a former Benedictine abbey, founded in 1101 and located in Fontevraud, near Saumur in France. This abbey is one of the largest monastic cities in Europe.

Monastic life ended with the French Revolution in 1792. The site became a property of the state and was converted in to a prison in 1804 and was until 1963 used as a prison.In 2000, Fontevraud Abbey became a World Heritage Site by Unesco.www.abbayedefontevraud.com

The abbey, which was turned in to a cultural centre in 1975, now implements its plan to be a ‘sustainable city’. The desire expressed in the draft ‘Fontevraud in the 21st century’ indeed materializes in the ‘Fontevraud sustainable city’ program.

The flagship action in 2012 and 2014 is the construction of an energy centre for supplying renewable energy to the Abbey and the implementation of a Big Hanna composter T240 that will compost all the organic waste at Fontevraud from two restaurants, one hotel and one conference centre.

All actions are intended to be disseminated and shared with the public, especially young people through a dedicated educational program. The goal is to bring an understanding about these issues, contribute to the awareness of the impact of our actions on the environment and encourage ‘eco-responsible’ behaviours.

The sustainable development policy of the Abbey will be adapted based on feedback of experience of actions implemented. It aims to achieve ISO 26000 certification on social and environmental responsibility.

Fontevraud Abbey is a former Benedictine abbey, founded in 1101 and located in Fontevraud, near Saumur in France. This abbey is one of the largest monastic cities in Europe.

Monastic life ended with the French Revolution in 1792. The site became a property of the state and was converted in to a prison in 1804 and was until 1963 used as a prison.In 2000, Fontevraud Abbey became a World Heritage Site by Unesco.www.abbayedefontevraud.com

The abbey, which was turned in to a cultural centre in 1975, now implements its plan to be a ‘sustainable city’. The desire expressed in the draft ‘Fontevraud in the 21st century’ indeed materializes in the ‘Fontevraud sustainable city’ program.

The flagship action in 2012 and 2014 is the construction of an energy centre for supplying renewable energy to the Abbey and the implementation of a Big Hanna composter T240 that will compost all the organic waste at Fontevraud from two restaurants, one hotel and one conference centre.

All actions are intended to be disseminated and shared with the public, especially young people through a dedicated educational program. The goal is to bring an understanding about these issues, contribute to the awareness of the impact of our actions on the environment and encourage ‘eco-responsible’ behaviours.

The sustainable development policy of the Abbey will be adapted based on feedback of experience of actions implemented. It aims to achieve ISO 26000 certification on social and environmental responsibility.